It was relatively common for knights participating in tournaments to sustain injuries.
Many bled while competing against other knights, and the tournament in Bogenberg, where Keldric participated, was no exception injuries occurred daily.
However, cases of death or life-threatening injuries were a different story.
Though not unheard of for a knight to die during a tournament, such incidents were invariably classified as “accidents” for a reason.
Tournaments were essentially mock duels meant to showcase martial skills and enhance mutual honor. Killing an opponent in such an event was unacceptable.
If an injury occurred while following the rules, there would be no liability, but proving the lack of intent was an arduous and grueling process.
In the worst-case scenario, a knight could end up bearing the stigma of having killed an opponent in a tournament, with their honor irreparably damaged.
Even if one managed to prove there was no malicious intent, it was customary to provide some form of financial support to the other knight’s family, such as contributing to funeral expenses.
The Bogenberg tournament wasn’t just a gathering of random mercenaries but an event that brought together legitimate knights from reputable families to test their mettle.
Thus, the appearance of a death or severe injury in such a prestigious tournament was a major issue—not only for the knight involved but also for the Count of Bogenberg.
This was precisely why Keldric had returned to the inner castle of Bogenberg, where a banquet had been held just a few days ago.
The tournament had been temporarily suspended.
While they could declare the winner since only the final match remained, the condition of Sir Ortwin, who had collapsed, was too dire to proceed.
It wasn’t unusual for the announcement of a winner to be delayed.
If the opposing knight sustained injuries but survived, it was common for the judges and organizers to defer their decision.
As a result, Keldric not only had his wagered money returned to him but also found the rewards, honor, and glory reserved for the winner put on hold.
“Damn it.”
To some extent, Keldric understood the difficult position of the Count of Bogenberg.
But that didn’t change the fact that Keldric himself was losing out in the meantime.
During the match, his opponent had bled profusely from the ears, trembled uncontrollably, and ended up severely incapacitated.
To Keldric, it appeared that external factors had intervened. However, to the spectators, who didn’t know the details, it seemed plausible that the condition had resulted from a hard blow to the head.
This left Keldric in a situation where he had to prove his innocence quickly.
While the Count of Bogenberg, who was investigating the matter, would likely verify Keldric’s lack of guilt, underestimating the power of public opinion could lead to him being branded as the knight who nearly killed Sir Ortwin, regardless of the truth.
“It’s fortunate he’s alive, at least.”
“…That’s true.”
As Alyssa had pointed out, it was a relief that Sir Ortwin had survived in this frustrating situation.
If he had died or ended up in a state worse than death, both Keldric and the Count of Bogenberg would be facing far more severe repercussions.
“Alyssa, do you have any medical knowledge?”
“A little. They teach some medical techniques at the Academia.”
“Then, have you examined Sir Ortwin’s condition in detail?”
“No, not in detail…”
Under these circumstances, there was only one factor that Keldric could suspect.
The blood that gushed from the ears, the body convulsing with eyes rolled back, and the strange, teal-colored streaks floating in the blood, along with the small worm-like creatures swimming inside—
Sir Ortwin’s disturbingly abnormal condition pricked at Keldric’s instincts.
No matter how hard one hit their head after falling from a horse, it didn’t explain why such things would appear.
All Keldric could hope to gain from Alyssa was fragmented medical knowledge, but that was exactly what he needed most.
“In truth, when I turned Sir Ortwin’s body over, I saw something strange.”
After hesitating for a moment, Keldric finally gave Alyssa a brief account of Sir Ortwin’s condition.
Alyssa’s expression remained neutral as Keldric described the bleeding from Ortwin’s ears and his rolled-back eyes.
However, when he mentioned the teal-colored streaks floating in the pooled blood, her brow furrowed. By the time he brought up the worm-like creatures, her face had turned grave.
“What do you think? Was it an accident during the match?”
“…First, I need to say something.”
“Go ahead.”
“At the Fiorenza Academia, where I studied, anatomy and natural sciences were given more emphasis. Therefore, my knowledge of formal medicine isn’t very deep.”
“I’ll take that into account.”
That was to be expected. Alyssa had studied magic at Fiorenza Academia, not medicine.
Keldric nodded and gestured for her to continue. Alyssa let out a small sigh and tapped her chin lightly with her fingers.
“Let’s go over this from the beginning. You said Sir Ortwin showed signs of unusual behavior during the match?”
“Indeed. As I mentioned before, even the way he was breathing seemed off. It wasn’t just exhaustion.”
Keldric recalled the rapid rise and fall of Ortwin’s chest and shoulders. It hadn’t been the result of mere fatigue. There had been a frequent display of discomfort, with Ortwin thumping his chest as if trying to relieve some kind of obstruction.
“Discomfort in the chest can have many causes. It’s possible that something he ate the day before or that morning didn’t agree with him. But if he found it difficult to breathe and felt tightness in his chest… it might be a fluid imbalance.”
Keldric listened to Alyssa’s explanation with a slightly blank expression.
According to her, the human body contained four types of fluids, and chest pain could result from an excess of black bile or phlegm.
“…Black bile? Phlegm?”
“That’s right. Examining his urine or observing the state of his tongue would provide more details, but… that’s not feasible under the current circumstances.”
Keldric felt a faint sense of unease. He began to question whether the medicine of this era could be trusted. After all, Alyssa wasn’t a doctor but a mage from the School of Purifying Flame.
All this talk about four bodily fluids was entirely new to Keldric.
“Well, I see. What’s next?”
“With just the chest pain and tightness, I can only make a superficial diagnosis. But based on what you’ve described, we can delve deeper.”
The next issues to consider were the bleeding from Ortwin’s ears, his rolled-back eyes, and the uncontrollable trembling.
“This suggests a possible reaction to poison. My knowledge of herbal toxins is limited, but from what you’ve told me… I suspect wolfsbane poisoning.”
“Wolfsbane…”
“The root and leaves can be used to create a deadly poison. Its main symptoms include irregular pulse and loss of bodily control.”
Alyssa’s explanation was chilling, especially when she mentioned that severe cases could result in death.
If wolfsbane was so lethal that even someone without formal medical training like Alyssa could identify it with basic herbal knowledge, it was clearly a dangerous toxin.
The pressing question now was whether the symptoms matched Sir Ortwin’s condition.
“Do the symptoms sometimes appear with a delay?”
“There’s a lot I could say about that… but the next symptom should confirm things quite clearly.”
“And what would that be?”
“The Infesting Larvae found in Sir Ortwin’s blood.”
Infesting Larvae. That was the name of the creature.
It was a name Keldric had never encountered, not even in his prior life.
When Keldric’s expression turned subtly puzzled, Alyssa continued her explanation with a slightly uneasy look.
“Infesting Larvae aren’t naturally occurring creatures. They’re similar to the foul residues produced when an evil witch casts a curse. Simply put, they are a byproduct created by witches.”
The term witch didn’t simply refer to women who used magic.
In distant lands inhabited by pagans, priestesses who practiced strange sorcery were commonly referred to as witches.
Of course, some individuals across the continent also experimented with dark magic and committed murders in the process, but they were usually dismissed as lunatics and swiftly executed.
Witches, however, were considered entirely different.
“They go by many names. Pagans might call them sacred priestesses, and others refer to them as shamans. But regardless of the name, they are undeniably witches.”
“And why is that?”
“Because they twist the natural order of the world, Sir.”
According to Alyssa, magic was a discipline aimed at understanding and approaching the truths of the world.
In contrast, the dark sorcery of witches leaned heavily toward rituals and was much more sinister.
Magic might already be enigmatic and difficult to comprehend, but witches’ sorcery was outright blasphemous, deliberately aiming to defile truth itself.
“Infesting Larvae are vile creatures born from that process. No natural creature in this world could ever develop into something like them.”
“I see…”
“If the larvae infest a host’s body, they multiply indiscriminately, feeding on bodily fluids and even excreting waste within the host.”
Alyssa explained that the larvae’s waste mixed with blood or other bodily fluids, creating a teal, oily streak. The waste itself was toxic and acted as a weaker or comparable poison to wolfsbane.
“Fascinating. So these creatures exist.”
“Yes. I don’t know how Sir Ortwin came to host the Infesting Larvae, but they absolutely did not occur naturally.”
In other words, it was undoubtedly an act of poisoning.
Although Sir Ortwin had barely survived, making it an attempted poisoning, Keldric had no intention of softening the punishment for the perpetrator.
This was a matter of Keldric’s honor. If his honor were tarnished, he would be effectively ostracized from society as a knight.
Hearing the sound of heavy footsteps, Keldric turned to see Sir Tolle approaching him.
“Sir Keldric. His Lordship has summoned you.”
“I’ll head there now. Alyssa, you’re coming too.”
“M-Me too?”
“You have medical knowledge. It’s only right that you come along.”
Keldric began walking behind Sir Tolle, with Alyssa following nervously at his side.
He wasn’t sure why he had been summoned so late at night, but at least he had the means to defend himself.
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“It seems to be caused by poisoning.”
Count Bogenberg was an enlightened figure.
While some knights and ignorant nobles doubted medical science, it was quite commendable for someone to follow a doctor’s advice without question.
“This isn’t Sir Keldric’s fault. However, I would like you to stay at the castle for the time being.”
“I will do so.”
Keldric had no reason to refuse. No matter how fine an inn might be, it couldn’t compare to staying in the castle of Count Bogenberg, where distinguished guests resided.
On top of that, he could save money. Keldric suppressed a smirk that was about to form and bowed his head.
“This man is the doctor who diagnosed Sir Ortwin’s condition. He seems to be highly esteemed.”
“It is an honor, Your Excellency. I am Sir Keldric of the honorable House Bellaph. May I take a moment to introduce myself?”
“Very well.”
The man introduced himself as Niccolo of the House of Sanluce, a physician who had studied medical science at the prestigious Academia of Avalonchine.
“Academia of Avalonchine is renowned for its expertise in medicine. Count Bogenberg has brought in a proper doctor.”
Standing slightly behind Keldric, Alyssa quickly whispered to him. Hearing that, Keldric found himself agreeing. Niccolo’s calm and steady tone, coupled with the seamless explanation of the symptoms, gave him the aura of a natural-born physician.
“The body exhibited an abnormal overproduction of black bile. The cause, it seems, was the expulsion of parasitic larval remains.”
“I see.”
“Thus, I performed bloodletting, and the situation is now quite manageable, thanks to the early detection.”
According to Niccolo, Keldric’s forceful thrust of the spear into Sir Ortwin’s chest had caused the parasitic larva to be expelled from his body, allowing for timely treatment.
Keldric found the explanation incomprehensible.
But since listening further wouldn’t make it any clearer, he simply nodded silently.
“Your Excellency, may I…”
“Mm, speak freely.”
“Thank you.”
Niccolo’s unexpected action began at that moment.
After finishing his explanation, Niccolo suddenly flung open the window and leaned his upper body far outside.
While Keldric was left speechless at the abrupt behavior, Niccolo almost hanging on the windowsill pulled himself back in and spoke.
“Judging by the sky, the moon is transitioning from full to new. During the waning phase, the body’s recovery rate does not improve, so bloodletting is more appropriate than administering medicine.”
“That makes sense. Proceed as you suggested.”
“Thank you, Your Excellency.”
“What’s all this about the moon?”
To Keldric, it seemed more logical to prescribe medicine as soon as possible for Sir Ortwin, who appeared to be on the brink of death. However, Niccolo insisted on waiting until the moon began to wax.
Keldric glanced at Alyssa with a skeptical expression.
Contrary to his expectations, Alyssa was nodding in admiration.
“Indeed… that makes sense. He truly is an exceptional physician.”
“…Wouldn’t it be better to give him medicine sooner?”
“But it’s the waning phase of the moon, isn’t it? I believe we should follow Niccolo’s advice.”
Keldric chose to keep quiet. By this point, the matter was out of his hands.
If Niccolo truly was the renowned physician he claimed to be, all Keldric could do was observe and trust in his expertise.